AFL chief government Andrew Dillon won’t be drawn on how Jeremy Finlayson’s homophobic insult compares to different slurs because the league ponders a punishment for the Port Adelaide ahead.
Finlayson directed a homophobic slur in the direction of an Essendon participant through the third quarter of the Energy’s 69-point victory over the Bombers at Adelaide Oval on Friday night time.
It’s understood an umpire’s microphone picked up the insult, which was heard by a number of gamers, and at the very least one Essendon participant additionally referred to as it out.
The 28-year-old apologised to the goal of his slur following the match, and on Sunday made a proper apology, describing his phrases as “unacceptable”.
Dillon was requested how Finlayson’s remark measured as much as a racial slur.
“We take all of them actually critically and I do not suppose you’ll be able to evaluate and distinction,” he mentioned.
“However all of them are completely different. We do not like them and that is why we’re wanting into it and that is why there will be an accountability.”
What that “accountability” will likely be stays unclear, with suspensions and fines among the many choices.
Final month, North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson was fined $20,000 and given a suspended two-match ban for abusing St Kilda defenders Jimmy Webster and Dougal Howard throughout a pre-season recreation.
Clarkson was requested to elucidate his actions to the AFL after allegedly utilizing the homophobic slur “c*******er” through the follow match.
In 2021, Adelaide ahead Taylor Walker obtained a six-game ban for uttering a racist comment a few rival reserves participant.
Dillon wouldn’t put a selected timeframe on the Finlayson punishment, however confirmed it might be handed down earlier than the following spherical, which begins on Thursday.
“We take these allegations very critically, so we are going to run a full investigation,” he mentioned.
“There will likely be an accountability for Jeremy on the finish of that investigation. The time line on it’s it will likely be achieved earlier than the following spherical of matches.
“I do not suppose there’s anywhere for that anyplace, not to mention the league.
“We take this actually critically and I would like to run a correct investigation and a correct course of to get to the correct consequence.”
Requested whether or not a punishment for Finlayson must be a “captain’s name” made by him, Dillon indicated that lay with soccer boss Laura Kane and common counsel Stephen Meade.
“We have actually in depth guidelines and laws that take care of that and in the end it is a name for our head of soccer and our common counsel, and so they’ll make that once they’ve acquired all the knowledge in entrance of them,” he mentioned.
Dillon was talking at a post-Collect Spherical press convention, the place the AFL and the SA authorities introduced the Barossa Valley would host a recreation in 2025.
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AAP